The Spirit of Chaos
by Twilit Feline
Summary: When Discord unexpectedly returns, leaving a shocked Twilight, she and her friends embark on a journey to return him to his stone prison...while Twilight struggles to keep her emotions in check. But, keeping her emotions hidden is harder that she thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

Twilight Sparkle, stumbled out of bed, her mane a complete fashion disaster. Groaning, she walked to her vanity, and grabbed a brush with her magic, and began combing the tangled mess.

Once she finished the daunting task, she trotted downstairs, intent on having breakfast, and catching up on some studying. As she passed one of her many bookshelves, a particular book caught her eye. The unicorn stopped suddenly, feeling like her heart had just broken in two. The book was under the "D" section.

Discord…the draconequus that had driven Twilight's friends away, until she used a memory spell on them. Discord…the name that haunted her dreams. The simple question that had appeared so many times in her mind. _What if? _

Upon using the Elements of Harmony on the draconequus, she had thought they would free him of his chaos loving self, much like they did to Nightmare Moon. Twilight did not think that the Elements would turn him back into stone.

The look upon Discord's face that was now frozen permanently in place was a look that haunted Twilight's every thought. It was something she had never thought she would see on the fun-loving, chaos-creating creature. It was fear. Plain fear.

When she saw that look on his face as the rainbow sped towards him, she wanted to stop the attack. But it was too late.

On a whim, Twilight decided to skip breakfast. "Spike!" she called. Her dragon assistant came running to her. "Yes?" he asked. "I…I'm going out. I need you to watch over the library for me, OK?" she asked, faking a smile.

Spike cocked his head, slightly resembling a dog. "Um…Ok?" "Thanks." Twilight replied, glad her assistant didn't ask for details. She opened the door, and trotted outside. Yawning, she looked up at the palace mounted on the cliff face. "Canterlot…here I come." She said, and with a flash of blinding white light, the purple unicorn disappeared without a trace.

Another flash, and Twilight arrived in Canterlot's statue garden. Ignoring the statues of the famous ponies, she briefly stopped to examine six statues of her an her friends wearing the Elements of Harmony. She smiled slightly, onto to have it fade into a disappointed frown. It seemed that life was determined to make her feel bad about Discord. 

Steeling herself, she continued down the path, until she reached a single statue. The face was frozen in a look that was a mixture of shock and horror. The mismatched creature was not necessarily evil…he just really, really liked disharmony. Maybe a little too much, but we all have our faults right?

"Discord…" Twilight began softly, before casting a look around to make sure no other ponies were taking a stroll in the statue gardens. Looking up and staring into the stone eyes of the draconequus.

"If you knew I was here, you'd probably think that I miss you. And you'd be right. I honestly don't know why I do. Maybe it's because you were so funny. You were never phased, until we finally arrived with the Elements of Harmony." A pause from the lavender unicorn.

"But…I think you thought that the world revolved around chaos. I want you to know that it doesn't. You can always have a little chaos, but you need harmony to balance it out too. If Ponyville was indeed the Chaos Capital of the world…would you finally be happy? I mean, if we hadn't arrived to stop you…would you really be happy?"

Twilight didn't realize that tears had sprung into her eyes, until one hit her hoof. "No." a voice from behind her said. She whipped around, heart pounding, horn glowing. One glance at the voice's owner and her jaw hit the ground. Standing in front of her in all his glory, was Discord, the spirit of chaos.

"H...how?" Twilight choked out, shocked. Discord looked at her, an unusually serious frown on his face. "I wouldn't be happy." "W..why?" Princess Celestia's student, momentarily forgetting her initial shock.

"Because I care about your well-being. I would gladly fly to the ends of the Earth for you Twilight Sparkle." Twilight's brain was having trouble processing the new information. She was barely aware of seven anxious/angry voices shouting her name, before her vision became blurry.

Swaying, she collapsed onto the ground, letting the darkness take her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

Twilight was awoken to a blinding pain in her head. "Oh…" she groaned, attempting to sit up. "Please Twilight Sparkle. You must rest." An angelic voice floated over to Twilight. "Princess!" Twilight gasped. "What happened?"

"Discord." A younger and stronger voice. "Princess Luna!" "We've been through this Twilight. Call me Luna." Luna said, as if she was lecturing a little filly. "Discord….?" Twilight repeated slowly, when the events came flooding back to her.

"Where is he!" the unicorn demanded, worried for the draconequus. "Don't worry Twilight!" Another voice, cocky and confident. "Yea! We scared Mr. Meanypants!" Bubbly and feisty. "Don't worry my dear, that…ruffian…won't hurt you!" Elegant and composed. "That Discord won' hurt ya Twi." Friendly and slightly angry. "Oh…are…you ok?" Shy, but compassionate.

"Rainbow? Pinkie? Rarity? And Applejack and Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" Twilight croaked out, her throat sore. A glass filled with water suddenly was floated over to her, surrounded in a magenta glow. Twilight gratefully took the water with her own magic, and drank hastily.

Wiping her mouth with her hoof, she turned back to Princess Celestia and Luna. "What…I mean how did Discord escape?" The two siblings looked at each other, something indescribable written on their faces. Luna took a deep breath.

"Well…The Elements of Harmony imprisoned Discord in stone, but didn't fully take away his consciousness. He wanted to escape of course, but he didn't want it with all of his heart, therefore, he could not break the Element's powers. However, something triggered strong emotions, allowing him to break the bond that bound him to his stone prison."

Twilight looked away, however, the Princesses took this as a sign that she was worried. "Fear not my faithful student." Princess Celestia said. "Rest, and we shall speak again once morning is upon us." And with a swish of her tail, she was gone. Luna nodded to Twilight, then trotted out, following her sister.

"ARGH!" Twilight yelled, not realizing her friends were still there. "I mean….argh?" "It's quite natural to feel upset dear." Rarity said. "I mean, come now, you honestly think that anypony would be GLAD to see that ruffian esacpe?"

_That's just it…I do feel glad. And I think that's bad. _Twilight thought to herself, choosing not to answer Rarity's question. Rainbow Dash spread her wings, and soared up into the air, punching, and letting out a flurry of kicks. "We'll get 'em! Discord doesn't stand a chance!" "Yea!" Pinkie Pie piped up. "Mr. Meanypants won't lay a paw on you! Or would it be claw? Or maybe hoof…" the pink pony trailed off, thinking.

Twilight was having an inner struggle with her emotions. She knew her friends hated Discord, and she should too. He was just so unhateable though! It was ridiculous. "Ok…everypony out…" a shy voice said. The yellow pegasus of which it belonged to was ushering Twilight's friends out of the room. "Get some rest Twilight."

Twilight shot a grateful glance at Fluttershy, who merely nodded, before shutting the door behind Applejack. She hopped out of bed, swaying a little, before she completely regained her balance. For the first time, she got a good luck at the room around her.

It had marble floors, speckled with gold, and large spiraling pillars that seemingly supported a high celling decorated with stars and the moon on one half. On the other side was a sun surrounded by clouds. In the center was a picture of Luna's cutie mark on the sun side, and Celestia's cutie mark on Luna's side.

Twilight assumed this was meant to resemble the Yin – Yang that Discord and Harmony represented. Trotting over to the balcony, she opened the door with a simple push of her magic. She let the cool night breeze ruffle her mane, and let out a sigh of content. _Princess Luna sure did a great job tonight. Like always._ Twilight thought, smiling slightly.

She placed her forehoofs on the balcony's rail, and sighed softly. Raising her head to the star – studded sky, she pondered her predicament. Letting out a groan, she let her head fall to her hooves. Her mane and tail were probably hopelessy tangled due to the strong breeze blowing outside, but she pushed that aside. _Think of it as a project for tomorrow._

Lifting her head slightly, and adjusting the position of her hooves, she looked towards the Everfree forest. From her position in the Canterlot Castle, she was able to see the rather faint glow of Zecora's hut. A faint curl of smoke was just visible gliding and swirling above the treetops. Gliding…It reminded her of how Discord gently floated through the air.

"ARGH!" she roared, smacking her hoof to her forehead. "WHY!" In a softer voice, she spoke again. "Why does everything have to remind me of you Discord?" She averted her eyes from the Everfree forest. "Where are you? Discord…" she murmured, looking up at the glowing moon. The cold air was beginning to give her a chill, so she decided to head back inside. Turning, she slowly placed one hoof in front of the other, forcing herself to go through the motions of walking, even though she didn't want to.

"Right here." A distinctly male voice sounded from directly behind her. Twilight yelped, only to have a very furry paw cover her mouth, cutting her off. "Shh!" the creature hissed. "Do you want the guards to know I'm here? They'll have my head! Now…promise you won't scream?" Twilight nodded. "Good." The paw released its hold on her muzzle.

Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Discord?" She asked softly, lifting her eyes to the mismatched creature in front of her. "The one and only." He smirked, showing his fanged smile. "Miss me?" "No!" Twilight said, hotly.

Discord raised a single eyebrow, and his mouth pulled into a disapproving frown. (A/N: Mr. Spock!) Twilight sighed. He just looked so adorable. "Fine! I missed you." She said. "Ha!" Discord said, pointing an accusing talon at her. "I knew it!" He circled around her in the air, and smiled.

"My friends will KILL me if they find out you've been here! And they want to put you back in that stone prison!" Twilight couldn't believe that she'd just warned Discord about the plan.

Discord frowned again, but it quickly turned to a smile. "Don't worry." He said, landing next to Twilight on the balcony. He extended an arm out over the railing. A cotton candy cloud appeared. He snapped his fingers, and a paper cone appeared. He stuck the cone in the center of the cloud. He held the cloud out to Twilight, who smiled at him.

Then reality hit her. "You have to go!" she said. She butted him softly. "Go!" she hissed again. "Wh…what?" Discord asked obviously confused. "Just go!" she said. Discord's eye widened and he looked very hurt. He bowed his head, and floated away from Twilight, tail hanging limply, instead of moving around like it normally did. "I don't want you to get hurt." The lavender unicorn added. Discord's expression visibly brightened.

"Sooo….you don't hate me?" he asked, hesitantly. "Are you kidding?" Twilight laughed. Discord loved the sound of her laugh. It sounded like spring, summer, bells, and all things magical. "Will I see you tomorrow?" Twilight asked. "You'd better believe it." Discord smiled, and this time it wasn't a smirk. It was a genuine smile. Twilight's eyes widened, but she returned the expression.

"I may not be here though." She said. "I'm probably going to be with my friends…" she trailed off, not wanting to say the rest. "I understand Twilight." He asked. "Just get away from them, and I'll do the rest alright?" he was being unusually serious. "Ok." Twilight said, smiling again. He turned to leave, but was stopped by the sound of her voice. "C…Can I have a hug?" she asked shyly.

Discord was a little shocked, but who was he to refuse a lady? He opened his arms, and Twilight walked into them. She wrapped her forehooves around her waist. Discord smiled again, as he felt her warmth against his pelt. When they broke apart, Twilight smiled at him. "Bye Discord!" she said happily. "See you tomorrow!"

"You too Sparklebutt!" he teased. "Hey!" she cried indignantly. The draconequus was fading away into the darkness, but he wasn't too far away to see her brilliant smile. Discord felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside his heart. "Goodnight…Twilight."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

Discord awoke to a blinding sunlight. Groaning, he rolled over…and promptly fell out of the tree in which he was currently residing. He quickly flapped his mismatched wings, gaining altitude. Emerging from the canopy of trees that was the Everfree forest, he quickly glided over to Canterlot Castle.

While he was flying, he was attempting to organize his scrambled emotions for a certain purple unicorn. He couldn't truly identify the feelings he had towards Twilight Sparkle. All he knew was that he cared deeply for the lavender unicorn.

Landing on the balcony where he had talked to Twilight the previous night, he peered into her bedroom. A maid was busy tidying the sheets, but he saw none of Twilight's possessions that the Princess had brought from Ponyville, meaning the unicorn had already left.

With a sigh, the spirit of chaos glided on his back to Ponyville. When he landed, he swiftly used his powers to slip undetected into the shadows. As he moved slowly through Ponyville, he wondered what Twilight was planning on doing when her friends finally caught up to him. It was only a matter of time. Discord sighed, then immediately regretted the decision. A green pony with a harp like instrument for a cutie mark turned her head, her eyes narrowing at the shadow where Discord currently resided. Holding his breath, Discord inched along the ground until he was out of Lyra's sight.

When he finally arrived at Twilight's house after many more close encounters with the citizens of Ponyville, he flew up to her balcony and peered into the room. There she was. Lifting her possessions into her saddlebags with her magic. Discord smiled.

With a flash of magic, he was at her doorstep, but in a totally different form. He was a brown unicorn colt with a tan mane and tale. He had the Elements of Harmony as a cutie mark, except they were all different shades of gray, representing the destruction of harmony.

He lifted a fore hoof to knock on Twilight's door. "I KNOW Rarity! I am getting a reasonable scarf! Yeesh!" The door glowed with a purple magic before it briefly swung open. "Oh!" Twilight stopped mid-rant. "I'm terribly sorry. Please come in." She moved out of the doorway to allow the pony to step inside.

"I haven't seen you around Ponyville before. Where are you from?" Twilight asked, inviting her guest to sit down on her couch. "A statue garden." Discord replied. "What?" Twilight asked, her eyes widening, then she smiled. "Discord….Don't play tricks with me." "Couldn't resist." The unicorn smiled. "Is that little dragon here?" "Oh. You mean Spike?" "Yes, Spear." Discord said, waving a hoof. "SPIKE. And no, he's helping Rarity pack."

"Good." Discord said, swiftly transforming. "Keeping up the pony gig for too long is painful." The large draconequus curled up on the couch, and tucked his paw and talon under him. "Rough night?" Twilight asked.

"Horrible." Discord groaned. "I awoke to falling out of my tree. " Twilight let out a sympathetic noise. "You know you could have slept here." She said. "But what about Spear?" Discord asked. "SPIKE was at Scootaloo's." Discord had a blank look on his face. "Small little filly, about this high, orange coat, purple mane? Blank flank? Usually hangs out on a scooter or with an earth pony and a unicorn?"

"Oooohhh!" Discord said. "You mean the three who first helped me out of my prison?" "Yes!" Twilight said, smiling.

Discord arranged himself more comfortably on Twilight's couch, tucking his tail under his feathered wing. "What are you going to do about your friends?" he asked softly. Twilight's smile quickly faded to be replaced by a frown. "I have no idea. I guess at one point or another I'm going to have to tell them that you're not all bad. I don't know how they'll take it though."

Discord sighed. "And you're worried they'll go to the Princesses, and Celestia will tell you that you can't be her student anymore? And that they'll hurt me?" Twilight nodded slowly.

"Well…" the unicorn thought for a moment. "They can't do anything to you with the Elements of Harmony because they have to work as a cohesive unit, and if I'm not part of it…well…you saw how well THAT went without Rainbow Dash, and she isn't even the hidden element!"

"That's kind of good news." Discord said. "But seriously Twilight, you're going to have to tell them that I'm not bad, and that I don't need chaos to live." Twilight looked at him funny. "Okay…maybe just a few cotton candy clouds here and there, and maybe some showers of chocolate rain every couple of days, but still! That wouldn't be too bad would it?"

"I'm sure Pinkie Pie would enjoy that." Twilight said, finally smiling for the first time since the conversation started. "Honestly though, I don't think they're going to take the news of me hanging out with you well. They'll probably think that you're controlling me!"

"But you're not gray." Discord protested. "So? It's an easy spell to change color." Twilight argued. Just then a knock on the door stopped both of them in mid-argument. "Who is it?" Twilight called, slightly panicked, motioning for Discord to hide. Discord flew up to the rafters, and proceeded to slip into the shadows. "It's Rainbow Dash and the gang!" Came Rainbow's voice from outside.

"NO!" Twilight shouted. "I mean no! I…I..,uh…" She searched desperately for a possible excuse. "I'm cleaning up Owlowiscious's pellets!" She said, hoping her friends would buy it. "Oh. OK!" Rainbow's voice came drifting through the door. "We'll wait outside for a couple minutes."

Twilight heaved a sigh of relief, and Discord came down from the rafters. "That was a close one…" she whispered, and the draconequus nodded. "You have to go before my friends find out you're here" Just then the door burst open, and Twilight and Discord both froze.

Rainbow and Applejack were both lying on the door, apparently shocked that it had fallen…er…caved in. "You gotta get a better door Twi!" Applejack stated, without looking up, but as she did, her jaw dropped open. "Discord!" She snarled. "Get away from our friend!"

"Discord!" Rarity yelled, charging in through the now empty doorway. Pinkie barged in close behind, followed by a very angry Fluttershy. "Twilight!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "We have all the Elements! We can stop him!"

Twilight purposely moved slowly, giving Discord the time he needed to make his exit. "Ta-ta ladies!" Discord said, smirking. With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared, leaving a very disappointed Rainbow Dash. "Great!" she sighed, plopping down on the floor. "Now we have to hunt him down all over again!"

Twilight couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief that the Spirit of Chaos had escaped without so much as a scratch. Twilight's fears on the other hand, had been confirmed that her friends would not take well to her and Discord's newfound friendship. She spotted a blue feather on the ground, and when nopony was looking, lifted it up with her magic, and placed it on top of the nearest bookcase.

"There were no owl pellets were there sugarcube?" Applejack asked, trotting over to Twilight. The unicorn numbly shook her head. "Darling, you look simply AWFUL!" Rarity said, moaning in sympathy for the unicorn. "What DID Discord do to you?" "N…nothing." Twilight stammered. "He only wanted to talk."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

Applejack looked at Twilight, her green eyes narrowed. "It jus' don' seem like Discord to just wanna talk." She said. "Trust me." Twilight said, sounding more confident than she actually felt. Applejack continued to stare at her. "Well…you ain't lying…."

Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the ground. "Why'd you have to be so SLOW Twilight?" she yelled. "We could have gotten him!" Shocked at her friends outburst, Twilight took a step back from the rainbow maned pegasus. Rarity glared at the pegasus pony with a ferocity that even made Rainbow back down. "Sorry…" she muttered. "Don't listen to her darling." Rarity said. "She just wants to get her hooves dirty!" "Do not!" "Do too!" "No!" "Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" "NO!" "YES!" "GIRLS!" Fluttershy screamed with such volume that made everpony freeze in there tracks.

"QUIET!" she roared again. "I mean…if you don't mind…." She said softly, reverting back to her normal quiet self. "Fluttershy's right!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around the library. "If we're going to stop Mr. Meanypants, we're going to have to work together."

"Yea!" Rainbow said, rising up into the air again. "That jerk Discord doesn't stand a chance against the Elements of Harmony!" "The nerve of that ruffian!" Rarity cried. The rest of Twilight's friends joined in the Discord name calling game. Twilight's ears went flat against her head. _Do they really hate him like this?_ She thought._ They must…No! I can't let them imprison him again! He…he means too much to me…_ She felt something wet touch her cheek. A tear. She raised a hoof to brush it away.

She suddenly noticed all her friends were staring at her. "Is…is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked. "N…No!" Twilight stammered. She backed away from them, as if they were monsters. She turned and ran upstairs, and grabbed her magic crown. Then, tears streaming from her face, she brushed past her friends, and ran outside into the rain that was now pouring down from the sky.

She heard calls of "Twilight!" and "Come back!", but she kept running without even a glance behind her. She charged into the Everfree forest without a second thought. Not allowing her aching muscles to slow her down, she continued her gallop until she passed Zecora's hut, and skidded to a halt when she stood before the chasm in front of the abandoned palace.

"Nopony will think to look for me here…" she murmured to herself, before crossing on the swaying bridge. Once she reached the otherside, she took a deep breath before casting a simple spell. Her horn glowed, and with a sudden **SNAP **the ropes holding the bride disappeared. The bridge fell, and Twilight heard a resounding crack as the bride hit the bottom of the gorge.

Twilight knew it wouldn't stop Rainbow Dash or any other pegasus, but she felt a little safer knowing the only three magic wielding creatures that could cross were Princess Luna, Princess Celestia and Discord.

Twilight was exhausted, hungry, cold and wet. She trudged down the path and entered the castle. At least some of the overhangs would provided her with some shelter from the pouring rain. A fork of lightning lit the cloudy evening sky, and Twilight yelped. She cast a spell, and two cushy pillows, and a blanket appeared. She also summoned a wood wall to block the rain.

Settling down on her makeshift bed, Twilight let the tears fall again. Before she knew it, sobs were racking her body. When she had no more tears left to cry, she fell into a fitful sleep. When she awoke, she was cold, sore, and extremely hungry. She felt a source of warmth next to her, and buried into the fur. _Fur…?_ Twilight opened her eyes again, to see Discord sleeping next to her, his tail on his nose and his paws tucked under him.

Twilight let a soft giggle escape her. He was….soooo cute! No…that doesn't even begin to describe him. Yawning, Twilight snuggled back into his fur, smiling.

When she awoke next, she saw that Discord was awake, his muzzle in a cotton candy cloud. She poked him with a hoof. "Hmmph!" Discord said intelligently. Twilight laughed. With a snap of his fingers, the cotton candy cloud disappeared. "I see Sparklebutt is awake." He said with a smirk.

She glared at him, though she was smiling. "Ha ha ha." Twilight stated rolling her eyes. Her stomach rumbled loudly. Discord clapped his paw and talons together, and a pie appeared in front of Twilight. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, using her magic to cut a slice, and lift it up to her mouth. She began to eat.

After two slices, she was full. Another clap, and the remains of the pie were gone. "Tell me Twilight…" Discord asked. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Twilight looked away. "My friends were calling you a jerk and other mean things like that." She explained. "So you ran away?" Discord asked, his eyes widening. "I mean, doesn't that seem a little bit drastic? Just a little?"

"They were insulting you!" Twilight wailed. "I couldn't stand it!" Just then the two heard voices outside the castle doors. "I hear something coming from inside!" Rainbow Dash's voice. "Crap!" Twilight said, stomping her hoof on the ground. With a simple spell, she reinforced the door. "We have to go!" "We?" Discord asked confused. "Yes, we!" Twilight told him. "Honestly, did you think I'd leave you?"

"Then allow me." Discord said, bowing. He gently picked up Twilight in his lion paw, and snapped his talons. They disappeared just as the door burst open.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

Discord caught a fleeting glimpse of a cyan pegasus accompanied by a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, before he teleported with Twilight. With a pop, he and the unicorn appeared in the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight groaned, and shook her head.

"Ow…" she groaned. "Sweet Apple Acres?" Shooting a strange look at the draconequus, Twilight looked around. "Why here?" "It was the only place I could think of." Discord explained, shrugging. "What are we going to do now?" Twilight asked sighing. "All of Ponyville is bound to be looking for us." "Don't forget Cloudsdale and Canterlot." Discord added.

"Helpful." Twilight growled. Spreading his wings, Discord took flight, circling around Twilight's head. He propped himself up in mid-air, using his logic – defying powers. "Should we just tell everypony?" Discord asked softly, looking worried for Twilight. "No!" Twilight said fiercely. "I won't let them put you back in that prison!" "I would gladly go back in that stone statue for you." Discord said, landing, and placing his paw and talon on Twilight's shoulder.

Twilight's eyes sparkled with tears, threating to fall. "R…really?" she choked out. Discord nodded, wiping away her tears with the tuft of fur on the end of his tail. "Really." He said. "No…I can't let you do that." Twilight said. "Besides, if I don't want you to go back into the prison, you really have nothing to worry about."

Discord looked at the afternoon sky. Sighing, he turned back to the lavender unicorn. "Twilight, what about the Princesses? Can't their power force me back?" Twilight pondered the possibility. "I…I don't think so." She murmured. "If they could have done that, why wouldn't they have done so already?"

"I don't know." Discord admitted. The sun was setting slowly over Ponyville. "We should probably get some sleep." Twilight said, yawning. "This…probably wouldn't be the best spot though…" "Maybe we should go back to the Everfree forest?" Discord suggested. "Nah. How about Appleoosa?" Twilight asked. Discord blinked in confusion. "It's a town that's a short train ride from here. They used to have a buffalo problem before my friends and I helped them out."

"And why is that place better than anywhere in Equestria?" Discord asked. "Because, they may not have realized you've escape yet, and it's probably the anypony will look." Twilight explained. "Oh. Then what are we waiting for?" With a snap of his fingers, Discord and Twilight disappeared, but not before Twilight had a chance to mutter, "I can do my own teleporting thank you very much…"

Arriving on the outskirts of Appleoosa, Twilight put a hoof to her forehead. "My head…" she groaned. "Sorry." Discord said apologetically, looking genuinely concerned for the unicorn. Twilight smiled a little, and dropped her hoof.

"Well." She said. "Here we are!" They were in a huge orchard, with apple trees almost as far as the eye could see. Discord looked to his right, and squinting, could make out a small town. "They usually farm in the late afternoon, so we should be alright until then." Twilight said, already having summoned several pillows.

Discord could tell Twilight was hungry, so he snapped his fingers, and a pie appeared. He handed it to her. With a grateful glance at Discord, Twilight began to eat. After she was finished, she looked up, and smiled to see Discord devouring a cotton candy cloud. Yawning, she stretched before settling down on her pillows. "Goodnight Discord." She said, already half asleep.

Discord settled on the pillow next to her. "Goodnight Twilight." He said, before placing his lion paw over her back. He could feel her stiffen slightly, but then relaz. "Goodnight."

If they had stayed awake only a little while longer, they would have seen the two figures slinking along the ground. One of them, small and lithe, expertly scaled a tree, the other slunk along the ground and hid behind a tree trunk.

A closer look at the two figures revealed feathers, wings, a beak, and a tufted lion's tail. Griffins. The one in the tree lept into the air, hovering above the sleeping figures. It seemed to melt into the night, the only thing showing up was a small glowing picture hung from a necklace on it's chest. A black night sky, and a day sky. With Celestia and Luna's cutie marks. The same symbol from Twilight's room in Canterlot.

Sliding along the ground, the other griffin had something clutched tightly in it's beak. A small glowing crystal. In perfect sync, the two rose higher into the air. The larger griffin gave the small orb shaped crystal to the smaller one. With a grin, the small one dove down with enough speed to make even Rainbow Dash jealous. Once it neared the ground, it flared its wings, pulling up, but not before it had thrown the crystal onto the sleeping form of the draconequus.

"Well done…" the large griffin hissed. "Now…we wait." The two perched in a nearby tree. The orb that now lay on Discord's fur was glowing softly. Silently, glowing threads emerged from it, and moving like snakes, wrapped around Discord's sleeping form.

Discord groaned softly in his sleep, then began to wake. Opening his eyes, he struggled to sit up, but something was binding him in place. With a shocked glance down, he saw a small orb on his chest, with thin threads coming out, glowing. With a roar of anger, he tried in vain to break free, but the threads were flexible, and no matter hard he tried to break just one, let alone all of them, they resisted his every movement.

He turned next to him, and was relieved to see that Twilight was still there, blinking awake in the darkness. "Discord!" she said, shocked, rushing over to help him. Her horn began to glow a light violet, and the threads on Discord began to glow the same color. Pulling at them with her magic, they were slowly, but surely breaking. Suddenly a loud, "GET HER!" split the night's peaceful silence. Two figures, the griffins tore through the leaves of the tree they were residing in, and grabbed Twilight.

Their talons sinking into her fur she screamed in pain, before a tail was whipped across her mouth. She bit down hard, not enjoying the furry texture, but the bite did its job. The tail was whipped away. "Why you nasty little…" one of the griffins began. "DISCORD!" Twilight shrieked. "DISCORD HELP ME!" Her horn began to glow, and she tried to teleport out of the two griffins grasp. "Ha. Not gonna work little lady." One of the two spoke. "See these pendants?" A pendant dropped down in front of Twilight's face. "They protect us from all kind of magic." Twilight made a grab for it using her mouth, but it was whisked away before she could snatch it.

Just then it hit her. She was still wearing the Element on her head! But it had never worked without the others…Well. It was now or never. Her horn began to glow again, but this time, it wasn't attack magic. She was channeling her magical energy into the crystal on the crown. It light up brightly. "Yes!" she cheered. "What!" snapped one of the griffins, turning his head to look back at the pony they were holding.

Twilight let out a burst of purple and pink magical energy which hit the two griffins head on. With a scream, they plummeted out of the sky, but not before Twilight struggled out of their grasp. "Come on…think!" she yelled to herself, before the perfect spell came to mind. Focusing hard, a blue ribbon like thread of magical energy surrounded her as she was falling. Once it had engulfed her, it glowed brightly for a moment, before dispersing.

Twilight now had two feathered wings that matched the color of her coat. "Ha!" She said. "Who knew that perfecting that butterfly wing spell would come in handy?" she grinned in the darkness, and sped off to where she last saw Discord. What she didn't see where the two figures standing on the ledge where she was hovering mere moments ago. "Tis a shame that she has been corrupted." A soft voice sounded. "I agree Luna…I agree." The two figures took flight, into the night sky, pursuing the flying unicorn.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!)**

**First off, I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers. You guys keep me writing, and are just…awesome. **

**Thank you:**

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**Now….ON WITH THE FIC!**

Twilight heard the sounds of wings flapping behind her, and doubled her speed, muscles screaming. Something popped into her mind. It was risky, but she had to try. Her horn glowing, she disappeared. When she appeared where she saw Discord last, she knew she was going to die.

What she was scared of had indeed happened. She had teleported alright, but the added appendages had frozen up, because the spell was not made for Pegasui. She plummeted to the ground, screaming. She was too scared to do anything else. When she was about 20 feet from the ground she braced for impact, when she felt hooves grab hers. She gasped as she saw a white pony accompanied with a dark blue one.

_Get away! Get away! Get away!_ She screamed silently, and suddenly her wings worked. She flailed, screamed, hollered, flapped, but the strong grasp on her hooves remained. "Calm yourself Twilight…" a soft calm voice said. Twilight's eyes widened. She knew that voice. "P..princess?" she choked out. "It is indeed I, Twilight Sparkle."

"Do not forget thy goddess of the night, Luna." "Luna?" Twilight gasped, her futile attempts at escaping stopping. Her wings drooped. "Twilight…" Celestia asked softly. "Why are you trying to keep Discord out of his prison? He belongs there." "No he doesn't!" Twilight spat. "Have you ever even tried talking to him? Ever sat down and had a rational conversation? Or have you just accused him of being crazy and chaotic?"

Shocked by Twilight's outburst, the two sisters looked at each other. "ANSWER ME!" Twilight screamed, scaring even herself. _What have I done? I just screamed at the two most powerful beings in Equestria!_

"No." Luna admitted. "We have…not done what you have asked…" "Then you don't know him." Twilight said, taking deep breaths, and trying to slow her heartbeat. "Please…give him a chance…" she begged.

They were an odd group, two alicorns holding a small unicorn with wings. "I'm sorry Twilight. We can't do that. You already escaped our griffin friends –" Twilight gasped. "That was you!" with renewed energy, she broke away from the two holding her, losing altitude, but then she flapped hard until she was hovering in front of the princesses.

"I can't believe you did that…" she said, softly. Extending a foreleg, she showed them the gashes left by the griffin claws. "Battle claws. Model X1." Celestia stated calmly. "Luna. What did I tell you?" Luna looked away. "I am sorry Twilight that you had to suffer because of my sisters ignorance. But please my faithful student, try to understand that – " "Don't tell ME to understand!" Twilight snarled, losing all self-control she had managed to regain earlier.

"Just…leave me alone Princess." She said softly, tears in her eyes. Celestia hastily backtracked. She wasn't mad at all, just hurt and shocked. Hurt that her student refused her affection, and shocked to finally see Twilight Sparkle cry.

She was so lost in her own thought that she didn't notice Twilight was flying away quickly, into the early morning sky. "Twilight!" Celestia shrieked. "TWILIGHT!" Luna placed a comforting hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Come on Tia." She said softly. "Let's get thee back to Canterlot." Celestia shook Luna off. "No. I'm going after her. Discord has corrupted her mind!" Without waiting for a response from her sister, she sped off in the direction in which Twilight had disappeared.

"Tia! TIAAA!" Luna yelled after her sister. When she didn't look back, she sighed, and promptly flew after her.

Twilight landed heavily, panting. She looked around wildly. All that had indicated that Discord was there, was a large imprint on the slightly damp ground. The tears in her eyes suddenly spilled out, and she felt like a little filly again. Crying…no…sobbing, she collapsed to the ground. After a few minutes of sobbing, she stood up slowly, her legs shaking. Tears still fell like raindrops from her face.

She looked up to the rising sun, and swallowed hard, choking back a sob threatening to escape her lips. She looked back at the dent on the ground, and reached out a hoof to touch the last place she had seen Discord.

Spreading her wings again, she slowly rose into the sky. She saw Celestia and Luna approaching, and soared away. Twilight flew all the way to Canterlot, without stopping. "Discord…" she whispered softly. "Please…be alright." She reached the balcony of the room that she had occupied a few nights ago. She collapsed onto the ground weakly, sobbing again.

The lavender unicorn suddenly didn't care who saw her, or heard her. All she wanted was to feel the soft fur of Discord underneath her hooves. With renewed energy, Twilight kicked open the door. She cantered inside, looked around, and galloped out. Stretching her wings again, she flew up along the ceiling, avoiding the gazes of the many guards stationed in the castle.

Thinking hard, she speculated that Discord would be under lock and key. Twilight flew down to the dungeon, her wings making no noise. The prison was empty, except for the last cell. Peering inside, she could barely contain a gasp of horror. Discord was pinned to the ground, by chains. "Why aren't you escaping?" she murmured.

Then she realized that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were behind him. Upon closer inspection, the unicorn realized that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were behind the other three. "Where is she?" Rainbow Dash demanded angrily, snarling at Discord. "I'll….never tell." The draconequus spat.

"Applejack." Rainbow said, with a curt nod at the earth pony. The orange pony nodded and slammed her hind legs against Discord's side. Twilight screamed. Everypony (plus Discord) looked up in shock. "T…Twilight!" Fluttershy choked out. "Why do you have….wings?"

Her eyes blazing, Twilight dove down her horn glowing. As she neared, the prison bars started to glow the same color as the magical energy surrounding her horn. They fell to the floor, as the pony landed, her eyes still glowing white. "Get. Away. From. Discord." She spat.

The five ponies stood shocked. Applejack regained her composure first. "Sorry. I can' do that sugarcube." Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Oh. But you will." She said, her mouth twisting into a smile. Her horn still glowing, she picked Applejack up, and with a wave of her hoof, the farm pony disappeared. "Wh..what did you to do to her?" Rainbow growled, lowering her head.

"Relax…" Twilight said still smiling. "I sent her back to Sweet Apple Acres." Rainbow let out a growl. "You'll never get him!" Twilight waved her hoof again, and the remaining ponies in the room disappeared. Twilight's eyes turned back to their normal color, and she turned to Discord, panting heavily. She rushed to his side, and, with a burst of energy, the chains disappeared. Discord straightened up. "Why didn't you escape with your magical powers?" Twilight asked, cocking her head.

"Luna…" Discord panted. "Told me…if…I escaped…they'd hurt you…" Twilight then noticed that the chains had left bloody marks on his chest and neck. "You're hurt!" She exclaimed. With another blast of magical energy the wounds healed. Partly. "Why isn't my magic at it's full capacity?" Twilight growled. "They're enchanted chains." Discord explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Let's get out of here." Twilight said, turning to face the exit of the dungeon, but was stopped in her tracks. A white alicorn was standing there, her mane many different colors. A smaller, dark blue alicorn was accompanying her. "Crap." Twilight said. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Please!" Twilight begged. "Give Discord a chance!"

Celestia was obviously hurt to see her student in such a state of panic, and horror. "Twilight…" she began. "No." Another voice broke in. Luna's. "Guards." She said, beckoning with one wing. Two pegasus guards with bat like wings stepped forward. "Kill the draconequus."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own My little Pony or Hasbro! (Or Lauren Faust!) **

**This chapter was heavily inspired by two songs: **

**A Thousand Years by Christina Perri **

**Young Love Murdured by Ke$ha**

**Hope you like!**

Celestia was obviously hurt to see her student in such a state of panic, and horror. "Twilight…" she began. "No." Another voice broke in. Luna's. "Guards." She said, beckoning with one wing. Two pegasus guards with bat like wings stepped forward. "Kill the draconequus."

"NO!" Twilight shrieked, hurling herself forward, only to be held back by some magical force. Looking around, she saw Luna's horn glowing. "Twilight." Luna pleaded. "Discord has corrupted your mind! You have to understand, once he's gone, you'll be alright!"

"NO! That's not it!" Twilight yelled as loud as she could. "He's not who you think he is! It's not what you think! He saved me!" At this, Luna nearly lost the concentration the keep the spell going. "Guards! Halt." She commanded.

Discord, who was pressed against a wall, let himself fall down onto all fours when the guards retreated. "Explain." The lunar princess said, rather icily. Twilight took a deep breath. "When I left Ponyville, I ran all the way to the castle where we defeated Nightmare Moon. It was raining, and I was too exhausted to do much more than summon a few pillows and a crude fort."

Celestia was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Twilight was standing up for Discord, but she managed to listen to what her student was saying. "I was sure I wasn't going to make it through the night, but I was too stubborn to go back to Ponyville and tell my friends the truth." "What truth?" Princess Celestia interrupted. "I'm getting to that!" Twilight snapped.

Taken aback, Celestia decided to shut her mouth and listen to the rest of the story. Sighing, Twilight continued. "So…When I woke up, Discord was sleeping next to me. His warmth saved me from freezing to death. I owe him my life…so…if you're going to take anyone's life…take mine." A single tear fell from her cheek, and hit the floor. It was a soft sound, but it the entire room could hear it.

"But I won't let you take Discord's. I would die for him…because…I love him." The room was dead silent. Then a sniffle. A single sniffle. Luna was wiping tears from her eyes. She sniffed again. The lunar princess felt the spell slipping, and suddenly, it broke. Twilight crashed to the floor.

"I'm useless! A failure! A total disgrace to the throne!" Luna sobbed, collapsing onto the ground, sobbing. "I never get anything right! First, I manage to somehow transform into Nightmare Moon, and try to dethrone Tia! Next I scare the hooves off all of Ponyville at Nightmare Night!"

Choking back another sob, she spoke again. "And then, I try to kill Discord without even listening to what Twilight has to say!" Her shoulders shaking her tears spilled down onto the floor, creating a glistening puddle that reflected the sparkling moonlight that cascaded in through the slotted window in the wall of the dungeon.

"Princess." An unexpected voice spoke up. Luna looked up to see Discord in front of her. "Listen to me. If you were a failure, why would the citizens of Equestria have forgiven you? If you were a failure, why would you have become friends with the citizens of Ponyville on Nightmare Night? And…if you were a failure, why would you have listened to Twilight?"

Luna's tears slowly stopped falling as Discord continued to comfort her, and convince her that she wasn't a failure. Standing up on shaking hooves, Luna did something very unexpected. She hugged Discord. The princess walked over to the draconequus, and wrapped her hooves around his waist. "I'm sorry." She murmured after she pulled away.

"I'm so sorry." Turning to Twilight, who had tears in her eyes, she held open her hooves. Without a second thought, Twilight walked into them. Hugging each other, the two friends suddenly let out a frenzy of apologies to the other, while simultaneously sobbing.

"Would you look at them?" Discord said snorting, his comment directed to Celestia. "I mean honestly." Celestia cracked a small smile. "Thank you for helping my sister…Discord. I think everypony here, save Twilight, misunderstood you. I'm sorry that I tried to kill you."

Discord looked at the floor. "It's alright…I suppose." He sighed again, and stared intently at his lion paw. "You didn't know what I was really like, and I probably didn't make that great of a first impression. I presumably came off as a great, big, jerk."

Celestia snorted. Luna and Twilight finally broke apart, smiling at each other through their tears. Twilight cantered over to Discord, and sat next to him, crossing her hooves. Luna walked over to Celestia and then turned to Discord. "You know what this calls for?" Luna asked smiling.

"A PARTY!" A familiar voice piped up. Everypony whipped around to stare at the entrance to the dungeon. A pink pony was standing there. "Pinkie Pie?" Twilight said in disbelief. "Yea silly! Who else would it be?" The party pony asked, bouncing over to Twilight, and hugging her. Twilight returned the hug.

"And look who else is here!" Pinkie Pie announced after they broke apart. Twilight directed her attention to the door. Rarity walked in, looking as beautiful as ever, closely followed by Fluttershy. Applejack followed. "Darling!" Rarity exclaimed, rushing over to Twilight.

She hugged Twilight, and so did Fluttershy and Applejack. Twilight blinked. Where were the ponies who had tried so hard to kill Discord? Twilight looked at the door again, hearing a soft flutter of wings. She saw a sheepish Rainbow Dash hovering awkwardly in the door frame.

Twilight held open her hooves, and Rainbow gratefully flew into them. Wrapping her wings around her friend, Twilight felt Rainbow shake with sobs. Was Dash…crying?

Holding her friend out at arms length, Twilight discovered that her suspicions were correct. "I'm so sorry!" Rainbow sobbed. "I just…I just thought that…." She broke off, sobbing too hard to continue. Twilight just held her friend tight, and stroked her mane, the way Twilight's mother did when she was a little filly.

Rainbow Dash was finally able to speak. "Since I was the Element of Loyalty, I just was so driven to protect you…that I thought that I could get the answers out of Discord. I was…wr…wrong." It was terribly hard for Rainbow to admit that she was wrong about anything, especially on this big a scale.

Turning to Discord, she looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry Discord. I really truly am." Discord could tell that she was telling the truth, and the hurt in her eyes was obvious. "I forgive you Rainbow Dash." He said softly. "Really?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. "That….That's….the best news I've heard…maybe in my life."

Smiling, everypony in the room began crying again. Princess Luna hugged Twilight, while Rainbow hugged Luna. Rarity hugged Rainbow, Fluttershy hugged Rarity, Applejack hugged Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie hugged Applejack, and Celestia wrapped her wings around all of them. Discord hovered around awkwardly, until Twilight poked her head out of the mass of ponies, and her horn glowed. Discord felt himself being lifted into the air, and carried over to the group. He finally gave in, and hugged them.

The two guards mentioned earlier, finally broke down, and hugged each other, sobbing. They all stayed this way, until Pinkie Pie asked, "What about that party?" Everyone laughed.

The next day, Canterlot was filled with pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. Creatures like dragons, griffins, and of course, Discord were there as well. Zecora arrived in her traveling cloak, looking as majestic as ever. Twilight, who was making a grand enterance with Discord, walked out looking amazing in a dress designed by Rarity. ("I always knew I'd design another dress for you Twilight!")

Her gown was a made of slivery blue fabric that became transparent as it touched the floor. She wore a silver chest medallion that wrapped around her neck, and tucked under her wings into a silver saddle. Her hair was straight, and in a long ponytail with a silver tie that was holding it about halfway down her hair length.

She wore silver horseshoes, and a small silver tiara on her head. (Her wings had become permanent due to a spell backfiring when Luna tried to remove them. Twilight couldn't say she minded keeping them.)

Discordo standing next to her was wearing a much more modest outfit and smiple tuxedo that had holes for his wins. The feather on the end of his tail was combed, and so was the mane reaching down his neck.

Rainbow Dash and the others wore their Grand Galloping Gala dresses, and Princess Celestia and Luna arrived in gowns of Rarity's design. Princess Celestia was wearing a gold dress similar to Twilight's and her mane was in a long braid that fell to the floor.

Princess Luna wore a long black dress that fell to the floor. The dress lining was a brilliant light blue. (A/N If you've ever played Zelda: Twilight Princess, the color of the lining is the same as the color of Midna's cloak at the end of the game.) Luna's hair was in a French braid, and fell to the floor like her sisters.

The party was a huge success thanks to Pinkie Pie, and everypony had a great time. The citizens of Equestria were surprisingly accepting of the fact that Discord was not evil, and indeed a kind hearted soul.

When the party was over, Twilight and Discord returned to the room where Discord had landed on the balcony. Twilight spread her sleeping bag out on the floor, and curled up next to Discord, who was already asleep.

The following day, they returned to Ponyville. Discord was built a house that he could create all the chaos he wanted in, but it always managed to be spic and span when Twilight Sparkle came over.

A few days after the events of the dungeon episode, Twilight said the faithful words. "Spike, take a letter please." The dragon, very eager, arrived at Twilight's side in a fraction of a second, carrying all the proper supplies.

"Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

As we have learned, you mustn't judge a friend by how they look, or how they acted upon first impression. They may just be nervous, or unsure how to act. Discord is a perfect example. He just loved to cause chaos, but he didn't know how to do it, without all of Equestria falling to pieces.

When you judge a friend from first impressions, you may never get to know them for who they really are. Maybe they are really sweet and funny, but you never saw that side of them because they were never given a chance, or had a reason to show it.

That's why you should always give people a second chance. Or maybe even a third. I learned a lot from this experience, and I'm glad that a made a friend in Discord. Maybe more then a friend in his case.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle."

After the letter was sent, Twilight collapsed onto the couch, to tired to head upstairs to get ready for bed. She fell asleep quickly, but awoke sometime in the night to feel something warm and furry next to her. She smiled, and nuzzled closer to Discord. Falling asleep, she was perfectly content.

**I am done. I'm sad that my story is over, but it had to come to an end eventually. I am sorry I wasn't able to update for a while, but my laptop died, so we had to take it to be fixed. **

**Right now I am having writers block, so if anypony comes up with a good idea for a story, please Private Message me. I am seriously drawing a blank here. A total blank…**

**Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers, and people who have added my story to their Story Alert List, and Favorite Stories list. You guys rock!**

**- Twilit Feline**


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